Health Education

UNESCO works to achieve Education for All by promoting the health of every individual within the school community. The Organization promotes good policies and practice in the education sector, helps partners create safe learning environments, and promotes life skills-based instruction through modern, interactive teaching methods. UNESCO is guided by the recognition of humanity’s growing interdependence and our need to collectively analyse the risks and challenges that affect our health and ability to live together.

UNESCO’s work in health education aims to create healthy and inclusive learning environments for all members of the school community. The organization’s work contributes to Focusing Resources on Effective School Health (FRESH), a partnership of UN agencies, national governments, and civil society working to promote cost-effective activities to make schools healthy.

Many young people are vulnerable to coercion, abuse, exploitation, unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. For this reason, UNESCO provides technical guidance on sexuality education to member states, including promotion of good practices in menstruation education.

Homophobic bullying is a violation of learners’ and teachers’ rights, and an obstacle to achieving a quality Education for All. UNESCO supports educational responses to this global problem. In 2011 it convened the United Nations’ first-ever international consultation to address homophobic bullying in educational institutions.